Litter leg and saddle construction



Dec; 22, 1942. c MOLLENHQUR 2,305,981

LITTER LEG AND SADDLBCONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1any;

DeZr 67%ZZ /z/z0ar Dec. 22, 1942.

D. c. MOLLENHOUR 2,305,981

LITTER LEG AND SADDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 13, 1941 T 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 2,305,981 LITTER LEG AND SADDLE CONSTRUCTIONDelbert Clark Mollenhour, Long Island, N. Y., as-

signor to Zimmer-Thomson Corporation, Long Island, N. Y.

Application October 13, 1941, .Serial No. 414,893

11 Claims. (Cl. -82) This invention relates to folding litters such asare used for transportation of injured persons and has special referenceto a pole saddle and leg for litters of this class.

One important object of the invention is to provide a novel form of legfor such purpose wherein the leg, while constructed of light and thinsheet metal, will be highly resistant to deformation.

A second object which is also important is to provide a novelconstruction of leg and pole saddle wherein the connection between theleg and pole saddle will be of such character as to aid in theprevention of deformation of such a leg.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel two-partpole saddle wherein the parts are assembled by a simple slidingmovement.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide such a two-partsaddle having a sheet sists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view showing one end portion of a litterhaving legs and pole saddles constructed in accordance with thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the end shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the legs and saddlesremoved from the litter pole.

Figure 5 is an end view of the leg, and saddle as attached to a pole.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a section on the line l''l' of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section on the line 8--8 of Figure 7 andshowing the manner of mounting a leg brace and stop used herein.

Figure 9 is a detail view partly in plan and partly in section andshowing the manner in which the stop members serve to prevent lateralswinging of the stretcher bars when the litter is closed.

Figure 10 is an isometric view showing the two parts of a saddle inpartially assembled relation.

In the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed the improved legsand saddles have been shown in connection with a stretcher provided withthe usual pair of poles in carrying a canvas or other body supportingsheet or web II and provided with handles l2. At opposite points on thepoles each pole carries pole saddles indicated in general at l3 andthese saddles support legs indicated in general at M.

Each pole saddle includes a lower and leg carrying member consisting ofa length ofextruded, roller or stamped metal having a flat base portionI5 of elongated rectangular form and a pair of flanges l6 rising fromthe side edges of the base l6. These flanges converge upwardly so as tooverhang the side portions of the base. The upper member of each saddleconsists of similarly formed metal having a transversely arcuate centralportion ll of elongated rectangular form in plan and having downwardlyextending and diverging side flanges l8 fitting snugly between theflanges iii of the lower portion. Thus the upper and lower portionsslidably fit eachother. These two members are of the same length and inthe lower member is a bolt receiving opening I9 which, when the membersare fully assembled registers with a similar opening 2|] in the uppermember so that a bolt 2| passing through these openings will hold themagainst relative sliding movement.

Each leg body is preferably formed from an elongated strip of thin sheetmetal here shown as of the same width as the saddle. This strip isstamped and bent or otherwise formed to provide a fiat top portion 22extending in parallel spaced relation below the lower saddle part. Atone end this top is bent upwardly at right angles to form a strut 23 theterminal edge of which engages against the saddle bottom l5. At itsother end the top is curved downwardly as at24 and merges at its lowerend into a substantially vertical upper side portion 25. The other endof the strip from which the leg is formed has a flat portion 26 whichextends from the end of the bottom IE to the strut 23 and then extendsdownwardly to form a vertical upper side portion 21 of the leg. Theportion 26 is spot welded to the bottom i and the strut 23 is spotwelded to the top part of the portion 21 thus firmly securing bothextremities of the leg strip to the lower saddle member. The leg formingstrip, below the portions 25 and 27 flares outwardly as at 28 and 29 andthen curves downwardly and inwardly as at 30 and 3! to merge into thebottom 32. At each side of the leg strip there is provided an outwardlystruck arcuate bead 33 which extends along the parts 28, 35, 32, (H and29 and fades at its ends into the flat portions 25 and 21. These beadsnot only stiflen the leg but also aid in preventing lateral skidding ofthe litter when H in use.

Within the upper part of each leg there is provided a brace memberhaving a flat top 34 which is spot welded to the under side of the legtop 22. This top 3% is located so that one end lies closer to theportion 25 of the leg than does the other end in relation to the portion21. The metal of the brace extends diagonally downward in taperingportions 35 and 36 to engage the inner faces of the leg sides and isthere provided with downwardly extending tabs 3! and 38 which aresecurely spot welded to the leg sides as will be seen in Figure 4 theportion 35 is more nearly vertical than the portion 36. By reason ofthis construction the rounded part 24 is very firmly braced againstdistortion. The opposite end of the leg, engaging against the saddle,does not require such rigid bracing and thus a proper distribution ofthe bracing effects is obtained with a thin plate through its particularlocation. The bolt 2! extends through suitable openings in the parts 22and 3d and on the lower threaded end of this bolt is a nut 38w. Thus thebolt 21 forms means for securing the saddle and leg to the bolt. On thebolt 2! between the saddle and leg top 22 is fitted a thimble 38 toprevent the leg top being bent upwardly when the nut is screwed tightlyagainst the brace top 34. The thimbles of the several legs serve aspivot members for the outer ends of stretcher bar sections 49. Each ofthese sections is U-shaped in cross-section and is provided with awidened end All wherein fits the thimble 35. One section has a widenedend 42 received between the flanges of a widened end 43 of the othermember, said flanges being spread to receive the end 212 between them. Apivot 44 connects the ends 42 and 43. The vertical dimension of each endi! is slightly less than the corresponding dimension of the thimble 39so that these ends 4! cannot be clamped between the parts l5 and 22.

At 45 is a combined stop and spacer member of cylindrical form, Thismember is provided with trunnions 35 which fit respectively in a hole 41in the part l5 and in a hole 48 in the part 22. This is of the samelength as the thimble 39 and is located adjacent the curved portion 24of the leg. It thus resists distortion which might be effected by anupward blow on the leg at the side beneath the portion 25. Also thelocation of the stop is such that, when the stretcher is opened orspread, the bar section 411 will have its end engaged against the stopas shown in Figure 7 but when the stretcher is closed the stop will beengaged by the member 40 at a point between its pivots 39 and M as inFigure 9. I It will be seen in this figure that with the parts in theposition shown the pivot 44 can swing neither to one side nor the otherso that the sections 40 must be held to extend longitudinally of therods I6 and cannot project to one side of these rods or poles when theyare in the position they assume upon closing of the litter.

With the construction thus described there has been provided a leg andsaddle structure which, while amply strong for the most severe service,is light in weight, is easily assembled and is free from distortionunder all practical conditions of use. It will also be plain that due tothe action of the stops 45 a number of these litters may be closelypacked without the stretcher bars interfering with such packing byangling off to one side.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a litter, a combined leg and saddle formed of strap metal andincluding a lower saddle memher, a leg member having a topportion spacedbelow the saddle member to form an opening for the reception of astretcher bar end, said leg having an upstanding portion at one end ofthe top portion, said upstanding portion being permanently fixed to thesaddle member adjacent one end said top portion being free from theother end of the saddle, and a combined stop and spacer held in theopening at the remaining end of said top portion and adjacent one sideedge thereof.

2. In a litter, a combined leg and saddle formed of strap metal andincluding a lower saddle member, a leg member having a top portionspaced below the saddle member to form an opening for the reception of astretcher bar end, said leg having an upstanding portion at one end ofthe top portion, said upstanding portion being permanently fixed to thesaddle member adjacent one end, said leg having side portions extend--ing downwardly from the ends of said top, a combined stop and spacerheld in the opening remote from the upstanding portion, said top 7portion being free from the other end of the saddle, a combined stop andspacer held in the opening at the remaining end of the top portion andadjacent one side edge thereof, and a diagonal brace extending from saidtop to the side portion adjacent the stop member and fixed to said topand the side portion.

3. In a litter, a combined leg and saddle formed of strap metal andincluding a lower saddle member, a leg member having a top portionspaced below the saddle member to form an opening for the reception of astretcher bar end, said leg having an upstanding portion at one end ofthe top portion, said upstanding portion being permanently fixed to thesaddle member adjacent one end, said leg having side portions extendingdownwardly from the ends of said top portion and flaring outwardly andthen inwardly to merge into a leg bottom, said sides and bottom havingoutwardly projecting ribs at the edges thereof, a stop member betweenthe saddle and top portion at the end opposite the upstanding portionand adjacent one side edge thereof, and a diagonal brace extending fromsaid top .to the side portion adjacent the stop member and fixed to saidleg and side portion.

4. In a litter, a pole saddle, a leg having a top portion in parallelspaced relation to the under side of the saddle, said top portion havingan upstanding portion at one end fixed to the saddle, a pivot boltextending vertically through the saddle and said top portion, astretcher bar having an end portion extending into the space between thetop portion and said saddle and pivoted on the bolt, the bolt passingthrough said end portion at a point spaced from the extremity of thebar, and a combined spacer and stop fixed between the saddle and saidtop portion and positioned for engagement by the said bar in positionsof the leg both laterally and longitudinally of the litter, said stopbeing located at the end of said top portion remote from the upstandingportion.

5. A litter leg formed from a single strip of thin sheet metal andprovided at one end with a flat top portion having an upstanding strutat one end and having its remaining end curved downward, the remainingend of the strip having a vertical flat portion resting against thestrut and permanently fixed thereto, said curved portion merging into avertical side portion, the vertical portions merging at their lower endsinto outwardly flared side portions and the outwardly flared portionsmerging into inwardly curved side portions merging into a leg bottom,the bottom and the side portions being provided at their edges withoutwardly projecting flanges arcuate in cross-section.

6. In a litter, a sheet metal pole saddle, including a bottom memberhaving flanges extending upwardly and inwardly from its edges, and a topmember having a body arcuate in cross-section and provided with flangesextending downwardly and outwardly from its side edges, the lastmentioned flanges fitting between the first mentioned flanges, saidupper member slidably fitting in the lower member.

7. In a litter, a sheet metal pole saddle, including a bottom memberhaving flanges extending upwardly and inwardly from its edges, a topmember having a body arcuate in cross-section and provided with flangesextending downwardly and outwardly from its side edges, the lastmentioned flanges fitting between the first mentioned flanges, saidupper member slidably fitting in the lower member, said members eachhaving a centrally disposed bolt opening with the bolt openings inregistry upon the members being assembled, and a bolt passing throughsaid v,

tion and provided with flanges extending downwardly and outwardly fromits side edges, the last mentioned flanges fitting between the firstmentioned flanges, said upper member slidably fitting in the lowermember, and a leg member fixed to said bottom member.

9. In a litter, a sheet. metal pole saddle, including a bottom memberhaving flanges extending upwardly and inwardly from its edges, a topmember having a body arcuate in cross-section and provided with flangesextending downwardly and outwardly from its side edges, the lastmentioned flanges fitting between the first mentioned flanges, saidupper member slidably fitting in the lower member, said members eachhaving a centrally disposed bolt opening with the bolt openings inregistry upon the members being assembled, a bolt passing through saidholes and holding said members from relative movement, and a leg memberfixed to said bottom member.

10. In a litter, a sheet metal pole saddle, in cluding a bottom memberhaving flanges extending upwardly and inwardly from its edges, a topmember having a body arcuate in cross-section and provided with flangesextending downwardly and outwardly from its side edges, the lastmentioned flanges fitting between the first mentioned flanges, saidupper member slidably fitting in the lower member, a leg member havingone side portion fixed to the bottom member of the saddle adjacent oneend thereof, the remainder of the leg being spaced from the saddle, anda spacer between the other side of the leg and the saddle.

11. In a litter, a sheet metal pole saddle, including a bottom memberhaving flanges extending upwardly and inwardly from its edges, a topmember having a body arcuate in cross-section and provided with flangesextending downwardly and outwardly from its side edges, the lastmentioned flanges fitting between the first mentioned flanges, saidupper member slidably fitting in the lower member, said members eachhaving a centrally disposed bolt openings with the bolt openings inregistry upon the members being assembled, a bolt passing through saidholes and holding said members from relative movement, a leg memberhaving one side portion fixed to the bottom member of the saddleadjacent one end thereolf, the remainder of the leg being spaced fromthe saddle, and a spacer between the other side of the leg and thesaddle.

DELBERT CLARK MOLLENHOUR.

